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The Future Is Wild
The Future Is Wild was a 2002 British speculative documentary miniseries created by Jo Adams and Dougal Dixon with input from several natural scientists. The original documentary is one of the few televised examples of the speculative evolution genre, and has given rise to a franchise which currently includes several books, an animated children's TV series, a limited manga series, and a number of attractions and exhibitions. The Future Is Wild sought to depict how life on Earth might have evolved after 5, 100, and 200 million years (demonstrating diverse real-life animal and plant adaptations in the process) and how it would adapt following a number of events such as mass extinctions, the disappearance of humans, a new ice age, a hothouse world, the disappearance and extinction of the mammals, and the formation of Pangaea II. The future worlds and their inhabitants were thought up by a team of scientists—including Robert McNeill Alexander, Letitia Availes, Philip Currie, Richard Fortey, William Gilly, Stephen Harris, Mike Linley, Roy Livermore, Karl Niklas, Stephen Palumbi, Jeremy Rayner, Bruce Tiffney, and Paul Valdes—and were designed by Dougal Dixon. The concept was conceived by Adams in 1997, and after some years of development, the thirteen-part series was produced and first aired from 2 April to 25 June 2002. The documentary was generally well-received, though there was some criticism of the plausibility of some of the future animals, and was quickly followed by a number of companion books and a fulldome show, but plans for further media fell through. However, in the years 2006—2008 The Future Is Wild branched out into a true franchise, with an eight-part Japanese manga running from February 2006 to March 2007, a twenty-six-part animated children's series airing on Discovery Kids from October 2007 to July 2008, and the opening of the virtual reality attraction Les Animaux du Futur in France's Futuroscope in April 2008. A handful of other books and attractions have appeared since then, and the virtual reality experience The Future Is Wild VR is currently in development, with a "major brand relaunch" in the works. Premise Production Jo Adams' earliest concept for what would become The Future Is Wild was "Superbreeds". Superbreeds would have been a programme looking at various modern-day organisms and examining how they could evolve to become dominant in future ecosystems. In writing up the concept, Adams moved from focusing on specific animals to "a group of species related through the food chain rather than genetically in a specific future environment"; this concept eventually became The Future Is Wild.The FUTURE is WILD Official Blog - How it all started The creature animation was done by the company 422, with supervision by Dixon, in what Adams described as the lengthiest part of the production.The Future Is Wild UK DVD 3-disc boxset, "The Making of" IMDb lists uncredited crew members Pierre de Lespinois (Director), Christian Jelen (Compositor), and Mark Knights (Colorist), the latter of whom was credited only in "Welcome to the Future". The main theme was composed by Nicholas Hooper and performed by the Budapest Film Orchestra, and incidental music from the episodes was composed by both Hooper and Paul Pritchard. Filming locations Episodes Other versions When The Future Is Wild came to Animal Planet in the US, it was aired as a special 90-minute documentary film, rearranging much of the original footage to tell different stories and providing additional details. This created a number of discrepancies with the original series; most notably, the original series described humans as extinct, while the Animal Planet version states that they left Earth for a "nicer planet" (according to writer Victoria Coules, this was at the behest of the network) and periodically send back probes to see how evolution is going. On 7 September 2008, a programme called The Future Is Wild and the Making of Spore aired on the Discovery Channel, combining footage from The Future Is Wild with behind the scenes footage about the making of the video game Spore. Distribution Reception Criticism : Main article: [[Scientific criticism of The Future Is Wild|Scientific criticism of The Future Is Wild]] Franchise Books and manga A companion book to the documentary, The Future Is Wild: A Natural History of the Future, was published in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2002 and in the United States on 7 December. It was written by Adams and Dixon, with Alexander and Bruce Tiffney as consultants, and carries forewords by Alexander and Stephen Palumbi. In 2014 an updated version of the book incorporating virtual reality elements was released on the iOS App Store as The Future Is Wild: The Living Book. On 1 March 2003, A Natural History of the Future was followed by The Wild World of the Future, which is written by Claire Pye and is aimed at younger children. Both books have been translated into other languages under various names, most successfully into Japanese and Chinese. Inspired by the documentary and both these books, Japanese manga artist Takaaki Ogawa illustrated an eight-part manga series based on The Future Is Wild, officially called Future is Wild Comic Version: World Life After 200 Million Years of Amazing Evolution. Serialised irregularly in the magazine Manga Action from 21 February 2006 to 20 March 2007, this manga included stories set in the North European Ice, Amazon Grassland, Bengal Swamp, shallow seas, Great Plateau, Global Ocean, Rainshadow Desert, and Northern Forest. In April 2007 all eight stories were published together in a tankobon version, which was popular enough to be reprinted in November of the same year. Television An animated children's series based on The Future Is Wild, also entitled The Future Is Wild, was produced by Nelvana, Teletoon, and IVL Animation in association with Discovery Kids, and aired on Discovery Kids from 13 October 2007 to 5 July 2008. Directed by Mike Fallows, the cartoon had stories set in all the regions except the Mediterranean Salt Flat, North American Desert, Global Ocean, and Rainshadow Desert and told the story of a future teenager, C.G., who is sent further into the future to find a suitable habitat for humanity and ends up meeting a mischievous squibbon and three modern teenagers, Emily, Luis, and Ethan. Exhibitions The earliest visual spinoff of The Future Is Wild was a 20-minute fulldome show, for viewing in planetariums and digital dome theatres, created by Evans & Sutherland Digital Theater in January 2004. It is narrated by John de Lancie, and won a Telly Award in June 2004. It is currently on the roster of 20 fulldome shows aired at Kingman Museum at Battle Creek, Michigan, which rotate on a bi-monthly basis. Merchandise Upcoming In 2015-2016, John Williams' Vanguard Films, the company which was also to co-produce the cancelled feature film,Kay, Jeremy The Future Is Wild for John Adams, Vanguard and Warner Bros | News | Screen screendaily.com 14 August 2019 announced that they would produce an animated "26-part sci-fi action-adventure series" based on The Future Is Wild,Whittock, Jesse Shrek producer to reboot evolution show – Page 532312 – TBI Vision tbivision.com 14 August 2019 and an image published on the official The Future Is Wild website at the same time depicted a new creature. Adams said of the new series that "John Williams and I first discussed ''The Future Is Wild nearly 20 years ago. In fact, I still have the notes of our conversation. John instantly understood and shared my vision for what I truly believe is a unique idea. I’m absolutely delighted by this new collaboration. The Future is Wild could not be in better hands. Re-creating some of the original stories and developing some of the original themes further with the benefit of modern technology will give the brand an incredible lift and help launch it in a whole new direction''. In 2016, it was also announced that a virtual reality game/experience, The Future Is Wild VR, would be developed by Cornel Hillmann's STUDIO CGARTIST, with creature designs by Dixon and creative control held by Adams. A demo version displayed in October 2016 featured a new animal, the titan dolphin, and promotional material also includes two other new animals, a flying creature and a sabre-toothed mammal. The VR game will explore the worlds of 100 and 200 million AD alongside the new 20 and 50 million AD, and will feature fifty new animals. On 30 May 2019, Hillmann revealed that The Future Is Wild VR is set to be released as part of a "major brand relaunch" which will include other new The Future Is Wild media.Hillmann, Cornel The Future is Wild VR: Update - STUDIO CGARTIST studio.cgartist.com 15 June 2019 Cancelled projects Timeline *2 April 2002: The first episode of The Future Is Wild, "Welcome to the Future," premiers on BBC Two. *25 June 2002: The thirteenth and final episode of The Future Is Wild, "The Tentacled Forest," premiers on BBC Two. *1 December 2002: The Future Is Wild: A Natural History of the Future is published in the United Kingdom. *7 December 2002: The Future Is Wild: A Natural History of the Future is published in the United States. *1 March 2003: The Wild World of the Future is published. *30 June 2003: The three-volume The Future Is Wild Region 2 DVD set is released. *January 2004: A twenty-minute ''The Future Is Wild'' fulldome show is released for airing in planetariums. *27 January 2004: The Future Is Wild Region 1 DVD box set is released. *22 November 2004: The Future Is Wild Region 2 DVD box set is released. *21 February 2006: The Future Is Wild manga by Takaaki Ogawa begins serialisation in Futabasha's Manga Action with "North European Icefield". *20 March 2007: The eighth and final story of Takaaki Ogawa's Future Is Wild manga, "Northern Forest," is serialised. *1 or 30 April 2007: All eight stories of the Future Is Wild manga series are published together in tankobon form. *13 October 2007: The first two episodes of the Future Is Wild cartoon, "The Electric Fisherman" and "Extreme Bird Watching," premier on Discovery Kids. *November 2007: The Future Is Wild manga tankobon is reprinted. *5 April 2008: Les Animaux du Futur opens its doors at the Futuroscope. *5 July 2008: The final episode of the animated series, "Snowstalker in a Strange Land," premiers on Discovery Kids. *7 September 2008: The Future Is Wild and the Making of Spore airs on the Discovery Channel. *25 November 2008: The shortened US/Animal Planet version of The Future Is Wild is released on Region 1 DVD. *4 January 2009: Les Animaux du Futur temporarily closes for renovations. *4 April 2009: Les Animaux du Futur reopens with a number of changes. *September 2010: A Future Is Wild exhibition opens at Sydney Aquarium. *September 2011: Sydney Aquarium's Future Is Wild exhibition closes. *April 2012: Models of sixteen animals from The Future Is Wild go on display at Dinopark Münchehagen. *30 September 2012: Les Animaux du Futur closes down for good. *15 June 2014: The Future Is Wild: The Living Book is released on the iOS App Store. *January 2016: John Williams announces that another animated series based on The Future is Wild is planned. *January—May 2016: The Dinopark Münchehagen models are moved to Dinosaurierpark Teufelsschlucht. *2 May 2016: Cornel Hillmann, head of STUDIO CGARTIST, posts on the Speculative Evolution forum requesting advisors for a virtual reality experience based on The Future Is Wild. *5—9 October 2016: A demo version of The Future Is Wild VR is exhibited at the Cannes tradeshow and the Frankfurt Book Fair. *30 May 2019: In a blog post, Cornel Hillmann announces that a "major brand relaunch" of The Future Is Wild is being planned. Gallery 5mio.png|5 million AD North european ice.jpg|North European Ice Shagrats-600px.jpg|Shagrat Snowstalker-600px.jpg|Snowstalker Gannetwhale-600px.jpg|Gannetwhale Mediterranean basin.jpg|Mediterranean Salt Flat Cryptile-lizard-600px.jpg|Cryptile Gryke-600px.jpg|Gryken Scrofa-600px.jpg|Scrofa Amazon grasslands.jpg|Amazon Grassland 5m-babookaris-600px.jpg|Babookari 5m-carakiller-600px.jpg|Carakiller 5m-rattleback-600px.jpg|South American rattleback North american desert.jpg|North American Desert Desertrattleback-600px.jpg|North American rattleback Spinks-600px.jpg|Spink Deathgleaner-600px.jpg|Deathgleaner 100mio.png|100 million AD Bengal swamp.jpg|Bengal Swamp Swampus-600px.jpg|Swampus Toraton-600px.jpg|Toraton Lurkfish-600px.jpg|Lurkfish Shallow seas.jpg|Shallow seas Oceanphantom-600px.jpg|Ocean phantom Reefglider-600px.jpg|Reef glider Spindletrooper-600px.jpg|Spindletrooper Antarctic forest.jpg|Antarctic Forest Roachcutter-600px.jpg|Roachcutter Falconfly-600px.jpg|Falconfly Spitfire-bird-600px.jpg|Spitfire bird Spitfirebeetle-600px.jpg|Spitfire beetle Great plateau.jpg|Great Plateau Windrunner-600px.jpg|Great blue windrunner Silverspider-600px.jpg|Silver spider Poggle-600px.jpg|Poggle 200mio.png|200 million AD Central desert.jpg|Central Desert Terabytes-600px.jpg|Terabytes Gardenworm-600px.jpg|Garden worm Slickribbon-600px.jpg|Slickribbon Global ocean.jpg|Global Ocean Silverswimmer-600px.jpg|Silverswimmer Oceanflish-600px.jpg|Ocean flish Sharkopath-600px.jpg|Sharkopath Rainshadow desert.jpg|Rainshadow Desert Bumblebeetle-600px.jpg|Bumblebeetle Grimworms-600px.jpg|Grimworms Deserthopper-600px.jpg|Desert hopper Northern forest.jpg|Northern Forest Forestflish-600px.jpg|Forest flish Megasquid-600px.jpg|Megasquid Squibbon-600px.jpg|Squibbon Videos The FUTURE is WILD Official Trailer - Long Version|Full length official trailer The FUTURE is WILD Official Trailer|Short official trailer The FUTURE is WILD 5 Million Years Introduction|Introduction to 5 million AD The FUTURE is WILD 100 Million Years Introduction|Introduction to 100 million AD The FUTURE is WILD 200 Million Years Introduction|Introduction to 200 million AD The FUTURE is WILD - The Official Making of...|Official making of video The Future is Wild - Intro music|Main theme The Future Is Wild Music Samples (200 Million Years)|Music samples from the final four episodes References Navigation Category:Television